Top buds are the most potent part of the plant. Plenty of trimming and pruning in September enables plants to put more energy into the top buds and increases the overall proportion of top buds in the harvest. Most of our garden beds have been no-till for five years and are surrounded by comfrey (bottom
Red clover and dandelion root – two nourishing wild plants to tincture. English photo By Joyce White Plants are all chemists, Tirelessly assembling the molecules of the world. – Gary Snyder What a revelation to me at midlife in the 1990s when Maine naturalist Jean Hoekwater introduced me to the idea that I could
Ramps take advantage of the early spring sunlight to grow and store reserves in the root system before forest trees leaf out. Three-year-old ramp seedlings in seed flats. By Heather McCargo Ramps are a delicious wild edible food beloved by chefs and locavores. Also known as wild leeks (Allium tricoccum), they are a member of
Cabbage, garlic, rosemary, sage and thyme – just some of the kitchen herbs and vegetables that promote health. English photo By Roberta Bailey As farmers, gardeners and overly busy people, we barely make time to feed ourselves well, let alone truly nourish and support our bodies. Our lives are a constant juggle of making time,
Eastern Prince schisandra berries shown by Aaron Parker of Falmouth in the Common Ground Country Fair Exhibition Hall. English photo By Roberta Bailey A few years ago, a friend was helping my husband and me erect a high tunnel on our farm. After a lunch break, he pulled out a little tincture bottle and said, “This is
Oats. English photo By Joyce White Plants known as herbs have been a part of healing the body, mind and spirit for most of known human history. Cultures have differed, stresses have differed, but the use of plants for healing as well as for food has remained constant through time. The brain, it was previously
You can start hundreds of native plants in a small area to create your own nursery. Heather McCargo photo By Heather McCargo The traditional nursery industry has been following an ecologically destructive trajectory similar to the path of conventional agriculture. Most plants are mass produced using an arsenal of synthetic chemicals; many varieties are
Aronia melanocarpa ‘Viking.’ English photo. By Roberta Bailey New England is rich in plant medicine, and learning that our medicine cabinet just expanded is exciting. Have you heard about the new super fruit? It appears to be better than all the others that have been touted in the last decade. And the best part is
Basil downy mildew on the upper surface of a leaf. Photo by Eric Sideman. And on the lower leaf surface. Photo by Eric Sideman. By Eric Sideman, Ph.D. This winter I have been lecturing at organic growers’ meetings about new and emerging insects and diseases. I don’t know if the weather, the climate or some
Cut dandelion greens before the plants flower. English photo. By Chris Knapp There is something intrinsically wonderful about wild food. Over the years my wife and I have shared wild plants with countless people. Folks bend down to the earth, pick a plant and put it in their mouths. Aha! An essential truth about our
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